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United States Civil War
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Pony express begins
From St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California the Pony Express could deliver a letter faster than ever before. In operation for only 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861, the Pony Express nevertheless has become synonymous with the Old West. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected president
Lincoln is elected as the 16th president of the United States, and the first republican president in the nation who represents a party that opposes slavery in the United States. -
Senator James Chesnut Jr.
After the results of the election were known, Chesnut decided that he could no longer stay in his office in the Senate. Shortly after Lincoln's election, he was the first Southern senator to withdraw from the Senate, on November 10, 1860. -
Senator James Henry Hammond
On November 11th, 1860, senator James Henry Hammond from South Carolina resigned his seat as U.S. senator. He didn't agree with the views during this time. -
Georgia arms their state
Georgia legislature appropriates 1 million dollars to arm the state because of the issues that have been occurring for a long period of time. -
Secession convention
The first succession convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina. -
Crittenden Compromise
an unsuccessful proposal to permanently enshrine slavery in the United States Constitution, and thereby make it unconstitutional for future congresses to end slavery. -
South Carolina secedes
South Carolina secedes from the union. -
South Carolina adopts an Ordinance of Secession
On December 20, 1860, the convention, meeting at Charleston, unanimously adopted the Ordinance of Secession, a brief statement declaring that "the union now subsisting … is hereby dissolved." -
Robert Anderson evacuates Fort Moultrie
Anderson tells his officers to evacuate Fort Moultrie for Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The entire garrison was successfully transferred to Fort Sumter, and the rear guard spiked Fort Moultrie’s big guns, burned the gun carriages, and cut down the flag staff. Many of the workmen in Fort Sumter were secessionist sympathizers and they were placed under guard and sent back to Charleston. -
The seceded southern states create a government
The government was created in Montgomery, Alabama, and the confederate states of America were formed. -
Jefferson Davis is appointed as president
Davis is appointed as the very first president of the confederate states of America at Montgomery, Alabama, a position he will hold until elections can be arranged. -
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the United States in Washington, DC. -
Fort Sumter
This opening signifies that the war has formally begun. -
Abraham Lincoln issues a public declaration
Lincoln issued a public declaration that insurrection exists and called for 75,000 militia to stop the rebellion. -
Union forces cross the Potomac River
Union forces cross and occupy Arlington heights. During this occupation, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a close friend of Lincolns is shot dead. -
Battle of Big Bethel
This was the first land battle of the war in Virginia. -
The Battle of Bull Run
Bull Run was the first full-scale battle of the Civil War. The fierce fight there forced both the North and South to face the sobering reality that the war would be long and bloody. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri
The Battle of Wilson's Creek on August 10, 1861, was the first major engagement of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. It pitted a smaller but aggressive Union army against a numerically superior force of Confederate soldiers and pro-secessionist Missouri State Guard for the future of Missouri. -
Battle of the Hemp Bales
Lexington, Missouri falls to Confederate forces under Sterling Price. -
Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky
The Union victory weakened the Confederate hold on the state. -
Surrender of Fort Henry, Tennessee
The loss of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Union control of the river. -
Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina
A confederate defeat, the battle resulted in the Union occupation of eastern North Carolina and control of Pamlico Sound, to be used as a Northern base for further operations against the southern coast. -
Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee
This primary southern fort on the Cumberland River left the river into Union hands. Here Ulysses S. Grant gained his nickname "Unconditional Surrender." -
Battle of Pea Ridge
This battle occurred in Arkansas. The Union victory loosened the Confederate hold on Missouri and disrupted southern control of a portion of the Mississippi River. -
The Battle of Shiloh
This was the first major battle in Tennessee. The Battle of Shiloh was an early battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. The battle is named after a small church in the vicinity named Shiloh which ironically translates to "place of peace" or "heavenly peace". -
First battle of Winchester, Virginia
the First Battle of Winchester was the fourth engagement and third Confederate victory of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862. -
The Battle of Seven Pines
This battle occurred near Richmond, Virginia. Battle of Seven Pines, also called Battle of Fair Oaks, (May 31–June 1, 1862), in the American Civil War, a two-day battle in the Peninsular Campaign, in which Confederate attacks were repulsed, fought 6 miles (10 km) east of the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. -
Battle of Memphis, Tennessee
The battle, which took less than two hours in the early morning hours of June 6, resulted in the immediate surrender of the city of Memphis to federal authority by noon that day. The Confederate casualties totaled approximately 100 killed or wounded and another 150 taken prisoner. -
Battle of Second Bull Run
a decisive victory for the rebels, as Lee had managed a strategic offensive against an enemy force (Pope and McClellan's) twice the size of his own. -
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Conscription
Conscription or the drafting of soldiers begins in the North and started in the south the year before. -
New campaign begun by Union forces
Union forces in the east begin a new campaign in Virginia to flank Lee's army at Northern Virginia at Fredericksburg. The Union forces in the west started a campaign to surround and take Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. -
Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi begins
The siege of Vicksburg was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. -
The Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia
The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. -
The Battle of Second Winchester, Virginia
The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863 in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War. -
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. -
Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrenders to the Union Army
The capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi gives the Union complete control over the Mississippi River, a vital supply live for the Confederate states in the west. -
Battle of Stones River, Tennessee
The Union squeaked out a victory in a bloody conflict at Stones River, which boosted morale in the North and gave the Federals control of central Tennessee. Of the major battles in the Civil War, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. -
Andersonville Prison Camp
In Georgia on February 27th, 1864, Camp Sumter Prison Camp opens. This prison camp is commonly referred to as Andersonville Prison Camp. -
Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia
This was the opening battle of the "wilderness campaign."The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. -
Abraham Lincoln for a second term
On June 8th, 1864, Abraham Lincoln is nominated by his party for a second term as president. -
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. -
Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi
The Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, also known as the Battle of Tishomingo Creek or the Battle of Guntown, was fought on Friday, June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn, Mississippi, then part of the Confederate States of America. -
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Monocacy, Maryland
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, approximately 6 miles from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace. -
Battle of Tupelo
The Battle of Tupelo, also known as the Engagement at Harrisburg, was a battle of the American Civil War fought from July 14 to 15, 1864, near Tupelo, Mississippi. The Union victory over Confederate forces in northeast Mississippi ensured the safety of Sherman's supply lines during the Atlanta Campaign. -
Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the siege of Petersburg. It took place on Saturday, July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. -
13th amendment is passed by congress
On January 31st, 1865, the 13th amendment was made and passed by congress. This amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. -
Attack on Fort Stedman, Petersburg, Virginia
The Battle of Fort Stedman, also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill, was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final weeks of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a pre-dawn Confederate assault by troops led by Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon. -
The Battle of Five Forks, Virginia
The Union force inflicted over 1,000 casualties on the Confederates and took up to 4,000 prisoners while seizing Five Forks, the key to control of the South Side Railroad, a vital supply line and evacuation route. -
The Battle of Sailor's Creek
The Battle of Sailor's Creek was fought on April 6, 1865, near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the Appomattox Campaign, near the end of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender
The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the American Civil War. -
President Abraham Lincoln is Assassinated
President Lincoln was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth. This occurred at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. -
Fort Sumter becomes re-occupied
On the same day as President Abraham Lincoln's death, Fort Sumter, South Carolina becomes re-occupied by Union troops. -
Jefferson Davis is a suspect
On May 10th, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. He was taken into custody as a suspect of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. -
The 13th amendment was ratified
On December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified and completely abolished slavery in the United States. -
Ku Klux Klan was founded
The Ku Klux Klan, commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist terrorist and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Catholics, Native Americans as well as immigrants, leftists, homosexuals, Muslims, and atheists. -
Fisk University opens
On January 9th, 1866, a colored school by the name of Fisk University opened. This school opened shortly after the Civil War. -
The Civil RIghts Act of 1866 was passed
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed on March 13th, 1866 by the United States Congress. -
President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill
U.S. President Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March 27th, 1866 because he believed Congress had no right to guarantee citizenship within the states or to enforce legislation on the individual states. -
Ex Parte Milligan
Ex parte Milligan, 71 U.S. 2, was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court that ruled that the use of military tribunals to try civilians when civil courts are operating is unconstitutional. -
Congress overrides the veto
U.S. President Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March 27, and Congress overrides the veto on April 9. -
Tennessee readmitted to the Union
After the war, the state legislature ratified the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on July 18, 1866, and was the first state readmitted to the Union on July 24, 1866. -
Memphis riots of 1866 begin
The Memphis riots of 1866 started on May 1st, 1866 in Memphis, Tennessee. These riots were a series of violent events that occurred because of social and political racism. -
Memphis riots of 1866 end
The Memphis riots took three days and ended on May 3rd, 1866. These riots resulted in the early stages of reconstruction after the Civil War. -
The 14th amendment is passed by congress
On June 13th, 1866, the 14th amendment was passed by congress. This amendment gave citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and enslaved people who had been emancipated after the American Civil War. -
New Orleans massacre
On July 30th, 1866, the New Orleans massacre occurred. It began when a peaceful group of mostly Black Freemen were set upon by a mob of white rioters, many of whom had been soldiers of the recently defeated Confederate States of America, leading to a full-scale massacre -
George Peabody
American financier and philanthropist George Peabody establishes the Peabody Education Fund to provide improvements to existing schools in poor areas of the southern USA. -
Nebraska becomes a state
On March 1, 1867, President Andrew Johnson reluctantly signed the proclamation declaring Nebraska's statehood. The signing ended the life of a territory which thirteen years earlier had been organized amid controversy. -
First reconstruction act passed
First U.S. reconstruction act passed by the U.S. overturning Johnsons veto. -
Tenure of office act enacted
The Tenure of Office Act was a United States federal law in force from 1867 to 1887 that was intended to restrict the power of the president to remove certain office-holders without the approval of the Senate. The law was enacted on March 2, 1867, over the veto of President Andrew Johnson. -
The Peonage Abolition Act of 1867
an Act passed by the U.S. Congress on March 2, 1867, that abolished peonage in the New Mexico Territory and elsewhere in the United States. -
U.S. Congress approves building of the Lincoln Memorial
The first concerted effort looking to the erection in Washington of a monument in honor of Abraham Lincoln appears to have been made about 2 years after his death by an act of Congress, approved March 29, 1867, which incorporated the Lincoln Monument Association. -
Alaska purchase of 1867
On March 30, 1867, the United States reached an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million. The Treaty with Russia was negotiated and signed by Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoeckl. -
People of color vote in municipal election in Alabama
People of color voted in municipal election in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Military officials set aside the election pending clarification on electoral procedures. -
Grange was founded
The grange was a farming tool, used to advance farmers. The Patrons of Husbandry, or the Grange, was founded in 1867 to advance methods of agriculture, as well as to promote the social and economic needs of farmers in the United States. -
Medicine lodge treaties
In October 1867 a U.S. Indian Peace Commission signed three treaties at Medicine Lodge Creek near Medicine Lodge, Kansas. One treaty was made with the Kiowa and Comanche, a second confederated the Plains Apache with the Kiowa and Comanche, and a third was negotiated with the Arapaho and Cheyenne. The United States promised the tribes peace and protection from white intruders in return for amity and relocation to reservations in western Indian Territory.
